Ok, we had the one part cut out and it looked really nice. The angles had clean cuts the radius looked great, etc. etc. Very happy with the way it cut.

The next little Item on the agenda, is a Key Chain.

I cut one out using MeshCam, but it looks like mess. It went right though a couple of areas for some unknown reason. Than the finish pass was moving up and down in Z around the entire part which made the sides and top look funny.

Anyway, The whole thing is only 0.20" think, with two cut of 0.10 each.

Here's what I have so far:
CON_0 Is the outside Circle
CON_1 is the top with the points, this should be cut from 0.0 to -0.1
CON_2 is the bottom Cross, this should be cut from -0.1 to -0.2

I have gotten it to profile CON_1, but than it won't allow me to Clear the area?
I have also gotten to profile CON_2, but cuts though CON_1, and won't clear the area.

I'm sure it a me though and setting up the CAM to do it.

Any advice?

Thanks

Smitty

Well it's confirmed, I am a moron.

I found a little arrow tab that brought up the main menu on the right hand side. Yes, the grey one with the Setup, DXF, etc. on it. Found the Pocket custom and there we go.

I am cutting the part now, but in my haste put the wrong cutter in. I used an 1/8" for the CAM and put a 3/8 in the Mill. Opps, not much of a pattern.

Still having some issues with setting up the starting point. I also ran off the piece and am cutting air.

This thing should be taken away from me, before I cause any real harm.

Smitty

Your layers are all screwed up first. I redid the layers and got rid of the crap, but when I got to the cross, I see it will need it's own layer in the drawing.

Okay, did it. You can't do the cross as a single profile. It is done with four contours. I'm assuming you want the cross raised like the logo. In order to do the cross raised, you need to eat out each pocket on each quadrant of the cross. The cross also needs it's own layer as the pockets follow part of the points and part of the cross. You can't just have Dolphin guess what needs to be machined.

Anyway, I got it to work with a few minutes of play. Make a seperate layer in your CAD program (I use an old student version of AutoCad 13 from my college years) for the cross, then draw the contour for the cross and all the other lines like the parts of the points and the circle that will define the pockets. Once you have that, it draws right up in Dolphin.

Be sure to get rid of the junk layers though. I found a lot of trash in the drawing on unneeded layers.

I see you fixed it while I was playing. And yet another thing you can do in multiple ways.

Your layers are all screwed up first. I redid the layers and got rid of the crap, but when I got to the cross, I see it will need it's own layer in the drawing.

Okay, did it. You can't do the cross as a single profile. It is done with four contours. I'm assuming you want the cross raised like the logo. In order to do the cross raised, you need to eat out each pocket on each quadrant of the cross. The cross also needs it's own layer as the pockets follow part of the points and part of the cross. You can't just have Dolphin guess what needs to be machined.

Anyway, I got it to work with a few minutes of play. Make a seperate layer in your CAD program (I use an old student version of AutoCad 13 from my college years) for the cross, then draw the contour for the cross and all the other lines like the parts of the points and the circle that will define the pockets. Once you have that, it draws right up in Dolphin.

Be sure to get rid of the junk layers though. I found a lot of trash in the drawing on unneeded layers.

It almost worked. The Top part started cutting but the cross was a AIR cut above the part. I'll have to look into that in the morning.

How do you find out the layers? I Drew it in Alibre, exported the .DXF file into Dolphin CAD and than used the CAM to generate the G-Code.

How did you find all the junk layers in the .DXF file?

Thanks

Smitty

bad cad
the cause of many problems

Smitty, dunno if you know this- but instead of the "Pocket" op, use an "Area Clear" instead and use the "Island" option to leave those bits unmachined. Also... on the "Area Clear" option use "Contour Machining" instead of "Bi- Directional", it looks better in my opinion (I also have the Tool Overlap set about 75% cos sometimes it leaves little spiky bits when changing direction otherwise).

BI-directonal @ 45degrees looks cool but use an "initial go round"
set your cutter overlap to 40% too
set your datum at the middle of the circle
remember to set the datum first(before anything else)after you import the file in the cad bit .
mike

oh and watch for the island/area clear glitch if your area is not contour 0 :-)

It almost worked. The Top part started cutting but the cross was a AIR cut above the part. I'll have to look into that in the morning.

How do you find out the layers? I Drew it in Alibre, exported the .DXF file into Dolphin CAD and than used the CAM to generate the G-Code.

How did you find all the junk layers in the .DXF file?

Thanks

Smitty

I used AutoCAD, but (I think) you can also clean up layers in Partmaster. Go to "View/Layer Gallery" and turn the lights on or off by clicking on them. Choosing "Hide all except this layer" is fastest to see i ndividual layers. Make sure the lock is UNLOCKED on the chosen layer after choosing so you can work with the layer. When working with layers and things just are not working, ALWAYS check to make sure it is unlocked. Saves a TON of frustration.

Once you have a single layer showing, you can see what it has for data/geometry. If it isn't part of what you need to work with, at the least turn it off and lock it, or delete it if deleting won't mess you up. If you need the layer for something else in another program, you can always save the partmaster revision as a new/different/revised file.

The air cut was the omision/addition of a "-" in your Z depth. I haven't made cuts yet, so don't know if the "-" is needed for Dolphin. Some CAM programs use the - in Z depth, and some don't as "depth" implies a Z going down. Probably the best reason for buying Dolphin is I can settle down and deeply learn just one CAM program now. It was kind of fun (like a puzzle) learning each CAM program (Feature, Master, Pro-E, Bob), but if you can't legally use them for something you might actually hope to sell some day, the time becomes wasted and better used for other productive things.

(Have I really only been playing with Dolphin for a week and a half? Very intuitive)

I used AutoCAD, but (I think) you can also clean up layers in Partmaster. Go to "View/Layer Gallery" and turn the lights on or off by clicking on them. Choosing "Hide all except this layer" is fastest to see i ndividual layers. Make sure the lock is UNLOCKED on the chosen layer after choosing so you can work with the layer. When working with layers and things just are not working, ALWAYS check to make sure it is unlocked. Saves a TON of frustration.

Once you have a single layer showing, you can see what it has for data/geometry. If it isn't part of what you need to work with, at the least turn it off and lock it, or delete it if deleting won't mess you up. If you need the layer for something else in another program, you can always save the partmaster revision as a new/different/revised file.

The air cut was the omision/addition of a "-" in your Z depth. I haven't made cuts yet, so don't know if the "-" is needed for Dolphin. Some CAM programs use the - in Z depth, and some don't as "depth" implies a Z going down. Probably the best reason for buying Dolphin is I can settle down and deeply learn just one CAM program now. It was kind of fun (like a puzzle) learning each CAM program (Feature, Master, Pro-E, Bob), but if you can't legally use them for something you might actually hope to sell some day, the time becomes wasted and better used for other productive things.

(Have I really only been playing with Dolphin for a week and a half? Very intuitive)

Mr. Wild,

Thanks for the assistance, I test Fiber Optic cable and connectors for Mostly Military programs and some one off stuff, It's very intuitive, to ME. You seem to have alot more exposure to the different CAD/CAM programs than I and that could be making a huge differance. So could you dumb it down for me?

When I open the DWG, I am able to move the NC Datum to the center as suggested above.

I go to the layers and there are 5 of them. Turn one on at time to see what they are. The actual drawing only exist on one layer. Do those need to be seperated and if so how.

It seems that all is fine for doing the outside contour.

The Points on the cross, I can make that one continues contour. Use area clear to cut it.

The Cross I can only get certain sections as a contour, the radius to the upright of either side of the cross. But where the cross intersects with the Points it won't, or I don't know how to get it to continue.

It says that "That line is already in use."

Hmmmm, I have printed out the PDF's of the CAD manual, looking though that presently.

Smitty

P.S. Good thing this is hobby stuff and not time dependant. LOL

Lets resize this thing so we can see it first.

Go to View//Properties.

Check the box by “Resize paper to fit drawing” then click “OK”:

Next, go to Zoom/Extents

The drawing is now a nice size we can work with.


Now, lets see what we've downloaded.

Go to View/Layer Gallery and look at all the layers.

These are all the layers I get when I open your downloaded drawing.

DXF import (in dark gray)
DXF Import (in light gray)
0
VISIBLEE
HIDDEN
CENTER


Clicking on the light in each layer, choose "Hide all layers except this one" to see what you have.

DXF import (dark gray) has a point to the right
DXF Import (light gray) has some lines that might be contours or profiles
0 has some horizontal and vertical lines
VISIBLEE shows the logo
HIDDEN has some short line segments scattered around
CENTER has a single point off to the right.

Lets start by tossing the trash

View/Layer Galery/ and highlight DXF import.

NOTE: Depending where you click on a layer line, you might get taken to a information box we don't want to mess with. If you find yourself in line type or color, or whatever, just click "cancel" on the bottom of it. All we want to do is HIGHLIGHT the layer line.

Now that you have a layer highlighted, click on "delete" on the right side of the Layer dialog box.

Sadly it should be as easy as that, but isn't. A new box comes up and asks where to send the data from that layer.

Note to Dolphin. If we wanted to delete the layer, why would we want to save it's data?

Pick any layer EXCEPT "visible" to send the data to, and click "OK"

Repeat this for, DXF Import, 0, hidden, and center.

NOTE: One of these will need to remain because Dolphin won't let you get rid of all the dead wood (I don't know how to do that yet) I threw all the dead wood in "Hidden" and kept that one, and "Visible."

Getting there.

Now before we are done with the Layer gallery, we want to make a New Layer.

On the right side of the Layer information box, click on "new." Title it "Cross." and click "OK."

Click the box on the left of the new layer called Cross, We want that empty box to have an X in it.

Click on the light in the layer called "Hidden." If you saved the deadwood to any other layer, click on it's light.

Select, "Hide this Layer."

Click on the light in layer "Visible"

Select "Show this layer."

If the light in "Cross" has an X over it, click and select "Show this layer."

Click on the locks on each layer to open "Visible" and "Cross," and lock "Hidden" (or the layer you selected for deadwood)

Check to make sure the lights are on or off and locks are opened or closed as needed, and if all is proper, click, "OK" in the Layer Gallery dialog box.


On your desk top, you should see the logo.

Select "Draw/Line"

In the snap dialog to the left side of the desktop, click on "Near."

We will start at the upper left quadrant, and call this quadrant #1.

Place the curser where the centermost arc meets the LEFT line of the vertical point. Click on it. This starts the line.

Move the curser to the junction of the point and top of the cross. Click to finish the first line.

Go to the top left side of the cross and click.

Move the curser to the next point (Corner of the vertical line and horizontal cross line) and click.

Move to the next point (left of the cross horzontal beam) and click.

Move and click on the next point (cross and horizontal point).

Move to the point and innermost curcle and click.

Hit "Escape" (Esc)

You've just made all the striaght lines for the first quadrant.

Repeat this process for Quadrants #2, #3, and #4. (I went anti-clockwise)

Now for the arcs.

Click on Draw/Arc. WE DO NOT WANT CIRCLE FOR THIS JOB.

Once again on the left side, Choose "Near" for snap mode.

On the left you will see several different arcs next to the snap buttons.

Select the top one, (center and two ends).

Move your curser to the center of the logo and click.

A dialog box appears and asks which is the first arc end point.

Click on the spot where we started our lines in Quadrant #1.

The dialog box then asks for the second end of the arc. Click on the spot where we ended the line in quadrant #1.

You should now have an arc in Quadrant #1.

Repeat this process for Quadrants #2, #3, #4.

Oh JOY! We are getting there!

At this point, all of the new lines should be in place in our new layer called "Cross."

To check and make sure, go to View/Layer Gallery and select the light in the layer called "Cross" and select "Hide all layers except this one."

Make sure the lock is OPEN.

Click "OK" to close the Layer Gallery.

You should now see your new art work and be able to tell if any mistakes or omissions were made. I made an omission of a line and was able to easily insert it by selecting Draw/Line and making sure the snap selection was on "Near." If you are missing several lines or arcs, you will need to turn the "visible" layer back on, and MAKE SURE "Cross" is selected (The box on the left has an X) before clicking OK to close the layer gallery and fix your mistakes.

If all is right, we can move ahead to NC

Click the red NC box, and then right click anywhere on the open desktop,

Select "Contour" and "Auto tracing"

Place the curser on the arc in Quadrant #1. Notice how there is an arrow shown. This arrow will change directions depending on which side of the arc your curser is placed. I prefer climb milling for something like this, so I chose my arrow to go anti-clockwise.

Click on the arc when you have the arrow going which way you will want the cut made.

In the dialog box that apears, give it the title Cross #1, or Quadrant #1. (Or anyhing you'll remember and not get confused over)

Z surface is "0."

Z depth is -.015

Call it a group number (I chose 1)

Click ok.

You'll see a new info box stating new contour has been made. Click "OK."

You should now see your contour in Quadrant #1.

Repeat for the rest of the quadrants.

NOTE. Make sure you have all quadrants with the same contour name (but numbered progressively) and grouped .i.e. "Cross 1, group 1" - "Cross 2, Group 1" - "etc."

Thats it. You are now finished with your new artwork and can go to "Machining/Milling Module"



Somebody owes me a beer. Or a bong, or a beer bong. Something. That was an hour and a half (I type slow). My degree is Professional Technical
Cmmunication and I did "ok" at manual writing.

Mr. Wild,

Thank you so much, that is the kind of Idiot proof explaination that "I" need. I'll be printing it so I can run though it step by step.

Sorry I don't drink or Bong anything so here you go.

Smitty

PS I couldn't post the picture of the A&W Rootbeer I had for you.

Here you go.

Smitty

Oh yeah, A&W Draft is the BEST! No problem on the step by step. Writing it out like that allows me to learn too. and the writing cements it home. My ultimate plan is to do an entire manual like that and sell it for like a gazillion dollars or maybe have Dolphin become so indebted to me they make a 20' tall Bronze monument of me in their large corporate lobby.:rainfro:

Oh yeah, A&W Draft is the BEST! No problem on the step by step. Writing it out like that allows me to learn too. and the writing cements it home. My ultimate plan is to do an entire manual like that and sell it for like a gazillion dollars or maybe have Dolphin become so indebted to me they make a 20' tall Bronze monument of me in their large corporate lobby.:rainfro:

Heck I'll even pre-pay the down payment.

That would be ideal. Even after printing and reading though areas of the supplied PDF's some thing just don't make sense.

Smitty

I followed you typed instructions with a couple of little bobbles thrown in for good measure.

I made all the outlines, of the four seperate areas. Went to NC it and got that all done with it told me the Tool was larger than what I was trying to cut.

Funny thing about the rulers, I should read them before getting to far. The whole piece is like 0.08 across, should be around 2". Hmmmm

Making Progress.

1. Click on the Layer button in the top center of chart, alot faster.
2. New Layer, If the check button in the left most box is has an * in it, that is the layer in which the part you are working on will be drawn.

This looks like if I make the whole thing 3 layers, Points Layer #1 as they are cut from 0.00 to 0.1", Than the Cross Layer #2, cut from 01. - 0.2 and Layer #3 which is the outside Profile.

Is that about right?

Moving right along and actually enjoying the pain. Kinda like at the Gym, if it hurts afterwards, you were doing it right.

Smitty

See now, you just taught me something. I'm still using the trial program as the tortois delivering my CDs makes it's way West to my door. My tool bars didn't have a Layer icon so I looked it up and sure enough. That will make things a little easier. At the moment I'm working on learning the CAD portion. Not quite as intuitive as the CAM portion. It could be that I just know AutoCAD well now and learning the differences of Partmaster CAD makes it seem clunky.

At the moment my forehead is raw from banging it on the wall. It can't be worse than Pro-E to learn though. Pro-E is like trying to scale one of those climbing walls with the hand/toe holds being small and long reaches. Very steep learning curve. LOL, And that program has manuals! I keep telling myself to start small and work up, but I have this realy cool turn signal housing that is all curves that I'm tying to conquuer. I figure out how to do all of it, and I'll for sure have some how-to-do-it manual fodder

I'm hoping the full program comes with an array of cutters so I'm not stuck making a entire tool box to choose from.

Mr Wild. The software cd that is being shipped is the same as the demo except it will not allow you to post, copy, paste, save etc... The toolbars are all on how you set them up. You can customize it to have some icons up and some not. Or all of them up. It all depends on what you like best. When downloading the program, it ask .. New User, Intermediate or Advanced.. Whatever you clicked at that time would have determined the tool bars. Again, even after doing that, you can still customize them to how you want them.

Does the CD have a tool crib, or will i need to make one?

I set up with the recommended, "Beginner" set of icons. Now that I'm coming up to speed on what buttons control what, I'm customizing to what I prefer. One of the things I like about PartMaster is the ability to change button size. My eyes suck so making the buttons larger is a real plus.

I was assuming the CD will have more features like the post processors and such. Haven't needed copy/paste yet, so didn't notice it wasn't available.

My housing is coming along nicely and I'll post a picture of the completed widget once I machine it. Something strange is happening in that the drawing seems to be in some weird incremental mode. If I give a location in the XY dialog box, the new art is placed that distance from the last art's center, I've found work arounds for doing mirror and such, but it really threw me off at first. I thought to set a datum point, but the datum point moved with each arc/circle/line. Is there a switch I haven't found yet for absolute/incremental?

Dolphin has some tools already in the library. As you know, you can also define some and save them to the library for future ref.

If you selected beginner, that will give you the least amount of tool icons. Weird but true. I think you said though that you have started to customize it yourself.

Yes when you activate the software, all the posts will be available for you. That is restricted from the demo.

I have attached a screenshot of the absolute / incremental tab.

Let me know if this helps you...

Well after a somewhat painful journey, I was able to make something usefull.

It's a Keychain or will be. it's for SBG Clan (Saved By Grace) a HALO 3 group I run with.

Used Alibre to Draw it. Dolphin CAD/CAM to make the tool paths and contours. MACH 3 and my KDN Tools converted X-2.

Now after this process I feel like I can make anything. As a matter of fact I showed it to the Two Machinst at work. One has given me a job to do for him. He wants a Left Handed Muffler Bearing. Need to do some research on them first I guess.:withstupi

The first photo is using MeshCam 3d profiling. It didn't make smooth arcs or lines.

The second Photo is cutting

The third is where I am still having trouble setting up starting points. The first layer is the points from 0.00 to -0.10 the second layer should have cut from -0.10 to -0.20. Well it cut from 0.00 to -0.20.

The Fourth photo is success. I started the program to find out where it was going to cut first and than moved and reclamped the material.

Suggestions?

Thanks for MR. WILD without his explaination I would not have been able to do it.

Smitty

I'm going to assume this fix because it makes sense. There are three Z settings. One is your "R" plane, one is part surface, and one is pocket depth.

The R plane or what I call "Rapid to this point" is the distance from the part the spindle will Z axis rapid to.

After it rapids to the R plane, it then proceeds at a feed speed down to the surface of your part. This is where you can tweak your second pocket problem away. For "Z surface," type in -.010.

The tool will (I assume) continue down to -.010 before it begins it's pocketing moves.


edit

Just wanted to say, that's a cool widget you made. Could you give particulars like the final size, cutter used, step over, and so forth?

Thanks

I'm going to assume this fix because it makes sense. There are three Z settings. One is your "R" plane, one is part surface, and one is pocket depth.

The R plane or what I call "Rapid to this point" is the distance from the part the spindle will Z axis rapid to.

After it rapids to the R plane, it then proceeds at a feed speed down to the surface of your part. This is where you can tweak your second pocket problem away. For "Z surface," type in -.010.

The tool will (I assume) continue down to -.010 before it begins it's pocketing moves.


edit

Just wanted to say, that's a cool widget you made. Could you give particulars like the final size, cutter used, step over, and so forth?

Thanks

Man I'm just gonna end up buying you a Keg of A&W.

The part was cut with a 1/8" (.125) 2 Fluted uncoated end mill, 40% step over, I started with 15 IPM, but over rode that to 20IPM cause it was taking way to long. Final size was diameter 2.001" depth .22".

This could get to be fun.

Smitty

nice
top work fella